NHTSA Complaint #769063 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

THE BELLY PAN BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE FRONT UNDERCARRIAGE AS I ACCELERATED ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY. WHEN I STOPPED FOR ASSISTANCE AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION. THE TWO MECHANICS ON DUTY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN EIGHT SIMILAR INSTANCES THAT WEEK, ALL INVOLVING VOLKSWAGENS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I HADN'T RAN INTO ANY CURBS OR BELGIAN BLOCKS WITH THE FRONT OF MY CAR RECENTLY. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE SCREWS/BOLTS THAT HAD HELD UP THE PAN HAD FALLLEN OUT OVER TIME. THREE DAYS LATER, I TOOK THE CAR TO A VW DEALER, BECAUSE ONLY A DEALER HAD THE RIGHT FASTENERS TO SECURE THE PAN. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PAN WAS SCRAPED IN THE FRONT, THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING FOR THE PAN TO FALL OFF. I DISAGREE I THINK THE SCREWS FELL OUT OVER TIME. THE MECHANICS HAD THE OPINION THAT THE DESIGN OF THE SCREWS/BOLTS IS FLAWED, SINCE THEY HAD SEEN THIS SITUATION HAPPEN ON SO MANY RECENT MODEL VWS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A TREND OF VW BELLY PANS COMING LOOSE OVER TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BELLY PAN SERVES TO DEADEN ROAD NOISE. ISN'T IT PURPOSE ALSO TO PROTECT THE UINDERCARRIAGE? IF SO, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND SCRAPING UP AGAINST CURBS OR SURVIVNG ASSAULT FROM OTHER REGULAR ROAD DEBRIS. THE FACT THAT THE BELLY PAN MAY FALL OFF WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY TIME IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. DT